The Mark of the King
by DuskyDancing
Summary: Sora is paid a visit by a stranger, a King from a far away world. Who was this man, how did he know about Sora, and why hadn't Sora heard of him before?


**Disclaimer** : I do not own, nor did I create any of these characters. All characters belong to Square Enix and were designed by Tetsuya Nomura.

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Sora felt like he was standing in nothingness. He felt weightless, and all around was dark. Last he remembered, he, Donald and Goofy went to bed at the inn in Twilight Town. Was he dreaming? Because this sure felt real to him. Suddenly, a voice called to him:

"Sora, the Keyblade's chosen…"

"Who's there?" Sora asked, "Where am I?"

Sora spotted a light in the distance, and out of it emerged a dog. The dog had black fur with a white chin, legs and underbelly. He sat in front of Sora and stared at him curiously. "Well, hi there, fella. What are you doing here?" The dog barked joyfully, and began walking back toward the light, turning around as if beckoning Sora to follow.

"You know the way out? I guess it's my only choice." As he approached the light, however, it only grew brighter. He covered his eyes to shield from the blinding radiance. Once it faded, he opened his eyes to find himself in a large room with a marble floor. His companion was nowhere to be found. This wasn't just any room, however, for a large throne stood before him atop a stairway. It was made of black stone, adorned with gold. The red seat upon it contrasted with the dark colors of the room. On both sides, golden statues stretched high to the ceiling, which Sora had to crane his neck to see. To the left of the throne was a large hole in the brick wall, as if a wrecking ball had laid asunder to the palace.

Glancing back to the throne, a figure now appeared in it, taking Sora aback: a man about the age of thirty, sitting back and resting his head against his left hand. He had coarse features, black hair running down to his chin and a short, rough looking beard. The man's attire matched the colors of the throne room: A black dress shirt, jacket, pants, shoes and, most noticeably an asymmetrical cape decorated with a golden insignia and a chain running across his collarbone. On his left knee looked to be a piece of plated armor, colored in the same gold as the chain, and a black and gold pauldron rested on his left shoulder. The man's presence commanded authority; no doubt this was a king.

Sora felt overwhelmed by the man's presence, but not threatened. He was overcome with a desire to pay this man respect, and took a knee before the throne. The man spoke, his voice matching his demeanor—calm, yet commanding.

"My name is Noctis Lucis Caelum: son of King Regis Lucis Caelum and final heir to the Lucian throne. I fulfilled my god-given purpose of ending my world's suffering, and I now rest in the Afterlife with my bride and the Oracle, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret."

As he spoke, another figure appeared, kneeling to the right of the throne, resting herself against its arm. She was a young, beautiful woman with long, blonde hair, which was styled up and decorated with a crown braid. She wore a long, white dress that hugged her figure. Her features were soft, and her expressions reflected kindness and compassion.

"Young keybearer, be not afraid" spoke Lunafreya softly, "word of your heroic deeds has reached the ears of the Astrals—the gods—as well as ours. We have summoned you here to our realm to offer what help we can from the realm beyond." Noctis continued for her, "If you so desire, allow me first to recount my tale to you."

Sora, still kneeling, looked up at Noctis. Surely a man of like this has an incredible story to tell, and even the smallest of help from him would be of great significance.

"Please" was all Sora could let out.

"Long ago, a terrible Starscourge cursed my world, tainting humans and turning them to daemons. My world was also at war with a powerful empire, who was at my kingdom's doorstep when I set out on my journey. At the time, I was at the age of twenty, not much older than yourself, and my father, the king, sent me out to wed the Oracle and fulfill my role as King. I was a young prince, still too blind to see my true purpose. I thought I was setting out to participate in a physical marriage and ascend to a physical throne, but my destiny was much greater. For, before I was even born, the gods chose me as the Savior, the one who would ascend to his spiritual throne and end the Starscourge.

"I was not alone on my journey, for my three closest friends—more like brothers—accompanied me to the very end. Luna knew of my true purpose, and assisted me from afar in her duties as Oracle, communicator between gods and men. All my power…all my success…I owe to them" he said softly, looking to Luna as he reached for her hand.

He resumed his story: "but I was young and foolish. I took the bond among brothers and the love of Luna for granted. In the beginning, I did not take my duties seriously. My brothers supported me at every turn, unconditionally. When I was weak, they were strong. When I couldn't focus, they focused for me. And Luna—" he began choking on his words, looking down. The powerful demeanor now turning to that of sorrow and defeat.

"Luna…she went above and beyond her duties as Oracle. My world began to change for the worst. The empire invaded my father's kingdom, taking his life in the process. Luna…had sacrificed her life in helping me fulfill my calling. One of my brothers lost is eyesight while fighting for me. I was tricked into attacking another of my comrades. The world soon fell to eternal darkness, I was separated from my brothers, and I lost all my powers. I was alone and broken."

Sora felt this man's pain in his voice. He was almost in tears just from listening to Noctis recall his tale. He couldn't bear the thought of losing even one of his friends. He truly had no understanding of what this man's been through, but he continued to listen intently.

"My whole world fell apart, and the significance of my duty became clear. All who made sacrifices believed in me, and the world was counting on me. I finally began to fulfill my purpose as Savior and King. One thing I did not know, however, still remained. To end something as powerful as the Starscourge required a great sacrifice from the chosen. 'Many sacrificed all for the King, so must the King sacrifice himself for all.' I would have to give my life to fulfill my duty, and, as a young prince, I was not prepared to make that sacrifice. It took ten years, sleeping within the Crystal, to achieve my full power and come to terms with my destiny.

"I awoke to a world of ruin, overcome by the Starscourge. Despite the state of the world, I was joyously reunited with my brothers. They fought alongside me until the very end, I defeated the Accursed One, and ended the Starscourge, giving up my life in the process. In embracing my destiny, I fulfilled my end of the vows, completing the spiritual union between the King and the Oracle. My world now lives peacefully, with neither war nor Starscourge."

Sora looked up to Noctis, who now began rising from his throne, along with Luna. He continued, "you may be wondering why I told you my story, young keybearer." He waved his hand up, telling Sora to rise to his feet, "I believe it is necessary to tell you, so you know how far brotherhood will take you, and how deep love can grow. You are still young, yet you have exhibited more valor than I ever could at your age. You have shown great sacrifice, and others have proved loyal to you repeatedly."

Noctis and Luna descended the stairs and stood in front of Sora, who felt even more small in his presence. Noctis reached out his right hand and put it on Sora's left shoulder. "I beg of you, do not take your friendships for granted. Do not wait to let others take the fall. And do not let your enemies convince you they are a weakness. You have a destiny to fulfill, Sora, and you will not do it alone."

Sora looked into the King's eyes. He sensed his pain, but saw his strength and compassion. "My friends are everything to me" Sora replied, "I…I don't know what I would do without them. They are my power."

The edges of Noctis' mouth curled slightly upwards into a smile, "good to hear." He released his hand from Sora's shoulder and reached out to Luna. "The road ahead may be difficult, and you may need all the help you can get. If you would allow us, we wish to lend you our aid."

"You…really want to help me? It would be an honor" Sora said.

Luna now approached Sora. Her beauty only growing as she came closer. She took Sora's hand in both of hers, and, as she did, hers began to glow with radiance. Her touch had a healing effect, for Sora could feel the darkness within him receding. Who were these two, and why had he never met them before?

She spoke slowly, her voice filled with tenderness: "Keybearer, may you be ever-filled with life and light. If a time comes when you are tempted to despair, look to your light, and know that it shines bright in the darkest places. There is one deeply connected to you whose heart contains pure light. May she always be a source of light when yours feels all but faded. We have not much to offer from afar, but we bestow upon you our blessing. May this gift aid you in your journey."

She released her hands from his, and Sora opened his to find a new key-chain. It was a profile of a dark, detailed skull with raven's feathers draped on its top and back, as well as a halo encircling it in the background. "This is the crest of Lucis, a symbol of the family's blessing" explained Noctis. "My brothers in arms still live, and they fight in other worlds to keep the heartless at bay. Should you come across them, I ask that you lend them your strength. In return, they will assist you in your fight. Just show them this symbol, and tell them you have received the blessing of the King and the Oracle." He paused, as if thinking to himself. "Also, please pass on a message. Tell them… that Noct says he misses them…and to continue to walk tall."

"I promise I will" Sora replied, "but how will I know them?"

"Their names are Gladiolus, Ignis, and Prompto. Gladio is a muscular man with a facial scar and a deep voice. Ignis is blind, but very intelligent, and speaks with an accent. And Prompto is…well, the life of the party." Noctis smiled upon remembering his brothers. He looked to Luna, who caressed his arm with hers.

Sora bowed to him, "thank you, your majesty", and turning to Luna, "your grace."

"Please, just call me Noctis." "And me Luna."

Noctis continued: "I hope this key-chain serves you well. It may have some interesting powers connected to it" he winked. "There is not much time left, young keybearer. Return to your realm, fulfill your destiny, and forget not the words spoken to you here."

"Noctis…Luna…Thank you. I feel unworthy of your assistance, but I am honored and grateful. I can't help but wish I met you before. If I meet your friends, I will pass on your message."

Noctis and Luna smiled back at Sora. As they stood before him, they began to fade away. "May the gods bless you" were their parting words to the keybearer before they disappeared into transparency. Sora's surroundings began to fade along with them, and the room soon grew dark.

Sora awoke to find himself back in bed, where he last lay down to rest in Twilight Town. So, it was just a dream.

But he was positive he'd never seen those two before. Don't people dream of faces they'd already seen? Sora would remember meeting people who looked like that. And it was such a strangely specific dream; he remembered it all. It couldn't be true. The only gods he's heard of were the ones of Olympus. And the Starscourge…such a thing never existed, as far as Sora knew. He mentally shook it off as a crazy dream.

He sat up in his bed and felt the jingling of metal in his hand. Recalling the events, his heart stopped. He looked down at his hand and slowly opened it to see the royal Lucian crest.

"The Mark of the King: strength of warriors passed. Sacrifices health to boost all other attributes."

Sora smiled. Everything Noctis and Luna told him….it was all true.

"Noctis, Luna, thank you"

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 **AN:** Hey there! Welcome to my first published fanfiction. I'm a huge fan of KH and FF, and I was trying to think of ways to fit the bros into Sora's tale. I then got an idea: what if Sora meets older Noctis? That idea became this one-shot. Hope you enjoyed! Please review as well. Honest, constructive criticism is welcome, since I'm new to publishing fanfiction and want to improve my writing before publishing anything longer.


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